One Question
by Cathain Nottingham
Summary: Jack proposes to Sam but is faced by several problems.


Title: One Question  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Spoilers: "Solitudes" Season One and "Divide and Conquer" Season Four the only other one is if you don't know that Jacob Carter is a Tok'ra, then you don't watch enough of the show!  
  
Season: Future  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate SG-1 or it's universe, just barrowing for entertainment purposes.   
  
Author's Note: Just a little something that I wrote after a discussion about Stargate SG-1, no real warnings, a little sexual innuendo I guess.  
  
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Jack tried his best not to pace around Sam's living room; instead, his anxiety filtered though the steady stream of taps his foot was delivering to the floor. The sound of his heartbeat reverberated though his ears as he felt his heart palpitate against his ribcage. His palms were sweating slightly and his mouth felt parched.  
  
"Jack, I love it." Sam announced her presence as she walked back into the room. She walked around the couch to stand in front of Jack before twirling around slowly to show him the full effect of her new dress, his birthday gift to her.  
  
"I'm glad Sam." Jack couldn't help but grin at the sight of Sam's smiling face, his anxiety suddenly fled him and he was once again filled with renewed confidence. "There's one last gift that I have to give you."  
  
"Jack, dinner at the most popular restaurant in town, a romantic walk though the park, this brand new dress and a signed document by you, promising to attend dance classes with me, what else could you have to give me? This is too much already!" Sam said as she ran though the list.  
  
"Well, there's one thing that would make it complete. My last name." Jack answered as he slid down to one knee.  
  
"Oh Jack..." Sam managed to gasp as Jack took her hand in his.  
  
"Thirty-seven years ago today you made this world a better place by coming into it. Nine years ago you made my life a better place by coming into it. And today, I ask you to make my life complete, Samantha Jean Carter, will you do me the honor of being my wife?" Jack asked as he pulled a small velvet box from his jacket pocket and opened it, revealing a sparkling, single diamond engagement ring.  
  
Sam grinned wider as she quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks, "Of course Jack."  
  
Jack slid the ring onto her finger and looked at her from his own tear-filled eyes from his place on the floor, causing her to laugh. "Need some help getting up?"  
  
Jack graciously accepted her help to get back on his feet as his knees cracked angrily at him for making them kneel between the couch and the coffee table. After standing again Jack leaned down and kissed Sam passionately.   
  
"There's just one hitch..." Sam said breaking the kiss.  
  
"What?" Jack asked, slightly breathless himself.  
  
"My dad, you know how old fashioned he is, you're going to have to ask for his permission." Sam answered as she raised her eyebrows at him.  
  
"Don't worry, your dad loves me. It'll be a cakewalk." Jack grinned smugly.   
  
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Jack walked happily down the main corridor to Jacob Carter's VIP quarters. The Tok'ra liaison had arrived on Earth the night before but Jack and Sam had been at one of their dance classes so asking Jacob's permission had been postponed. Jack made sure that the elder Carter had seen his daughter earlier, to make sure that he wasn't anxious to see her and apologize for not being with her on her birthday.  
  
Jack stopped at Jacob's door and rapped twice, waiting for a response.  
  
"Come in!" Jacob yelled from inside.  
  
Jack opened the door and walked in, giving Jacob a slight salute as he closed the door behind himself. Jacob smiled at his daughter's long-time love interest and now boyfriend. "Hello Jack."  
  
"Howdy Jacob." Jack said as he walked over to the older man.   
  
"I hear from my Sammie that you took good care of her on her birthday." Jacob said in a slightly mournful tone that Jack understood since he had been unable to be on Earth.  
  
"Well, Sammie deserves the best." Jack grinned before realizing that he just ruined any pathway into the arriving conversation.   
  
"Sam also said that there was something that you wanted to talk to me about." Jacob said as he watched Jack squirm a bit.   
  
"Yes, yes I do." Jack answered as he pointed to a chair, asking if he could sit. Jacob gave a slight nod and Jack planted himself. "I wanted to tell you that I proposed to Sam and she said yes."   
  
Jack watched as Jacob's eyes narrowed and his posture became rigid, "I see."  
  
"Yeah, so...well...I guess I'm asking for your permission to marry your daughter." Jack stumbled, slightly thrown by Jacob's reaction.  
  
"You guess?" Jacob asked, raising his eyebrows in a condescending fashion.   
  
"No...no I know I'm asking for permission." Jack covered.  
  
"Well...I only have one question for you." Jacob said, leaning back in his chair.  
  
"Lay it on me." Jack said, confident in himself again.  
  
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In just a few short minutes all of Jack's courage had once again dissipated and had quickly been replaced by anxiety. The anxiety of seeing Jacob and the za'tarc testing machine in the same room...with an empty, awaiting chair.  
  
Jack once again found his foot tapping against the floor as Jacob placed the recall device on his temple and began strapping him in, his shins, his forearms, wrists and finally his head. That's when Jack spotted General Hammond watching him from behind the glass observation booth above them. Jacob walked back to the machine, touching a few buttons before once again moving out of Jack's line of vision.   
  
Jack couldn't take his eyes off of the impending General, who was staring right back. His blood suddenly ran cold as he watched Jacob Carter enter the observation room and walk over to the General, standing side by side, as the sound of the door in the testing room with Jack, closed.   
  
Suddenly both Jacob Carter, Tok'ra liaison to the SGC and host to the honorable symbiote Selmak, and General George Hammond, leader of the SGC and Jack's CO, broke into toothy grins and walked out of the observation room together.  
  
Jack could once again hear his heartbeat in his ears for the second time in only a few days as the sound of someone approaching rang though the otherwise soundless room, his line of vision hindered by the strap across his forehead. That's when Sam walked over to the za'tarc machine and Jack let out a previously withheld breath of air.  
  
"Geez Sam! What is this all about?" Jack cried, quickly loosing patience with this game.  
  
"I have one question for you Jack." Sam said with a smirk on her face. Jack had heard that phrase far too much in the last half hour.  
  
Jack gulped but didn't relent. "What?"  
  
  
  
"When you and I were thrown out of the Antarctica gate and presumed that we were on another planet..." Sam said slowly, her grin unwavering.   
  
"Yeah...I remember." Jack said nervously.   
  
"Was that really your side arm?"   
  
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After Thought: What did you think? I made it take place a few years from now just because I felt like it :) Rather than explain how they could get married with the regs I decided to just throw it into the future (like that explains anything)...okay now I'm rambling, please review! 


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